Our History

Coats for Kids was started by Barbie Butz in 1987 as a simple distribution of gently used coats and jackets through the Los Niños Auxiliary of Children’s Home Society. She was president at the time, and the members wanted a “hands-on” project. They handed out flyers to people who had received toys and food from another group, and served around 40 people with something warm to wear that year.

Los Niños soon decided not to continue the project, and Barbie and her husband John continued it as Coats for Kids of SLO County.  North County cleaners, Plaza Cleaners in Atascadero and Paso Robles, and Fashion Cleaners in Atascadero joined and in the ensuing years it became a “well-oiled machine”. Clothing was collected and stored throughout the year, and two December distributions were held in Atascadero and Paso Robles. Coats for Kids now typically distributes some 3,000 items, since we cover every member of a family. That amounts to about 750 families a year!

COVID-19 restrictions kept Coats for Kids from having direct, large scale distributions for two years. Despite this, they were still able to get garments out to families in need through local service organizations like ECHO. In 2022, Coats for Kids partnered with Toy Bank of Greater Paso Robles on the “Day of Giving.” They shared a commercial building at the Mid-State Fairgrounds with one distribution that covered the whole North County. That same year, the Rotary Clubs of Paso Robles, Templeton, and Atascadero joined the volunteer team. Their Collection Box Committees placed collection boxes throughout the North County.

After the 2025 distribution, Barbie and John decided to step aside and turn over the reins to the North County Rotary Clubs, who have graciously chosen to continue this endeavor. In 2026, the Atascadero Rotary Club will have a distribution at the Atascadero Printery to serve families from Atascadero and Templeton. The Paso Robles and Paso Robles Sunrise Rotary Clubs will have a distribution at the Mid-State Fairgrounds to serve families in the Paso Robles area.

Hundreds of volunteers are, and have been, involved in Coats for Kids. To ALL of our wonderful volunteers — those of you who donate clothing, graciously accept items at our drop-off locations, store our items, help us at our distributions, and our dedicated cleaners who clean items that need it — Thank you! No matter how you have helped, you have been part of an important project. A warm coat or jacket not only warm the body, but also warm the soul!